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Date: 3/18/2015
EAST LONGMEADOW – A portion of the Heritage Park Plaza, including the parking lot and several businesses, was evacuated after East Longmeadow emergency dispatch received a report of a suspicious package at Panera Bread on March 18.
After roughly two hours, the Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Section, also known as the Bomb Squad, confirmed the bag in question was not hazardous.
"The State Police Bomb Squad determined that the package contained personal items," Fire Chief Paul Morrissette said, adding the individual responsible for leaving the bag was identified and would be questioned as part of an ongoing investigation.
At 3:05 p.m., dispatch received a report that a green backpack had been left under a chair at the high-end fast food restaurant.
"[The bag] was placed and pushed underneath a seat, according to a witness. The gentleman went into the bathroom area, then came out and went out the side door," Police Chief Douglas Mellis said, adding the individual in question did not eat at the restaurant, nor did he spend a significant amount of time in the restaurant.
Local police and fire personnel responded, ensuring all employees and patrons were out of harm's way and cleared the parking lot of vehicles from Panera, located at the east corner of the strip mall, to the Stop & Shop located approximately 100 yards away.
"Crews from the Police Department and Fire Department followed protocols and evacuated all the stores connected to Panera," Morrissette said.
Later explaining why the entire plaza was not evacuated, Morrissette said his department and the police have specific guidelines related to evacuations and those were followed.
"If the state police had requested us to go further, we would have gone further," he said. "The Bomb Squad's determination was we were at a safe distance."
Traffic was also shut down on North Main Street from the intersection of Harkness Avenue to the plaza's main entrance, at the suggestion of the State Police, he added.
Bomb Squad personnel responded within 30 to 40 minutes and by approximately 5 p.m., the area was deemed safe. By 5:15 p.m., Panera Bread employees were back inside preparing to reopen the restaurant.
Morrissette did not rule out the possibility that the bag was left behind by mistake, but an investigation would take place nevertheless.
"We're kind of thinking it was an accident, but they're investigating it further to make sure it wasn't a hoax device," he said.
The decision to evacuate was made keeping in mind both established public safety protocols and recent high profile events, such as the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon for which Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is currently standing trial in federal court.
According to media reports, testimony in the case focused heavily on bombs allegedly used in the attack or found in the possession of Tsarneav or his brother, including the makeup of the weapons.
"The unfortunate part is situations that have happened throughout the area and throughout the state in the past few years make these protocols take effect," he said.
Though extremely uncommon, East Longmeadow has not been immune to these kinds of scares in the past. In 2012, Birchland Park Middle School was evacuated in response to a bomb threat received via phone. A 14-year-old student and a 17-year-old co-conspirator from Washington state were arrested in connection with that incident.